This Year, Live by the Beatitudes (7)

Daily Devotions

January 07, 2015

Blessed are the peacemakers.” Mt 5:9 NKJV

The story’s told of two guys who were arguing about religion. One of them finally shouted, “Okay, you serve God your way and I’ll serve Him His way!” When we make our opinions a precondition for loving one another, we end up alienating one another. Much of what we fight about doesn’t matter. Jesus said, “By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another” (Jn 13:35 NKJV). It’s not enough to love peace, you’ve got to become a peacemaker. When a fight erupted in the New Testament church over eating certain foods, Paul stepped in: “Let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in the way of a brother or sister. I am convinced being fully persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself. But if anyone regards something as unclean, then for that person it is unclean. If your brother or sister is distressed because of what you eat, you are no longer acting in love. Do not by your eating destroy someone for whom Christ died. Therefore do not let what you know is good to be spoken of as evil. For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, because anyone who serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and receives human approval. Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification…So whatever you believe about these things keep between yourself and God” (Ro 14:13-22 NIV). So, be a peacemaker!